Chapter 055 Overt and covert fighting
"The imperial court sent Lin Yaoyu, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, as an imperial envoy to come here to work with Duke Wei to handle the matter of summer grain."
Chen Cao raised his lips: "How long will it take to arrive?"
"Beizhen Fusi will escort you all the way. We can arrive as soon as tomorrow." Zhao Xin replied.
It took ten days to wait for someone. I think there was a big dispute between the DPRK and China about who came here.
"What is Lin Yaoyu's identity?" Chen Cao asked.
Zhao Xin had already prepared: "It is not the Donglin Party or the Eunuch Party, and it has a very good reputation in the government and the public. It is said that it is upright."
"No wonder..." Chen Cao said thoughtfully: "It seems that Wei Yan and Ye Xianggao are also afraid of each other, so they chose such a person."
"Sir, will Lin Yaoyu do anything bad?" Zhao Xin was a little worried.
The corners of Chen Cao's lips raised: "Probably not. If it harms the interests of the Eunuch Party, Wei Eunuch will definitely not send him, and the Donglin Party will also stop him. Vice versa, it is the same. It takes up to seven days to get to Huai'an by boat from Tianjin, and it took ten days. Come on, they must have been arguing about this in the court for a long time."
"How's the arrangement for Weng Linzhi and the others going?"
Zhao Xin held up his hand and said, "According to your instructions, the imperial envoy will take action as soon as he arrives in Huai'an."
Chen Cao nodded: "How is Tiger Tian?"
Xin Zhao mocked: "The guy was very arrogant at first and was not afraid of death. His subordinates threatened to cut off his life and send him to Liaodong. This guy immediately changed his mind and said whatever he asked. The condition is Let’s let him go, my lord, since you have asked about this matter, please make your decision.”
"What do you think?" Chen Cao asked.
Zhao Xin was stunned, and then he realized: "I know my mistake..."
Chen Cao turned around and stared at Xin Zhao, making him tremble: "I don't dare to do it anymore. I will inform you for your decision on future matters..."
After Zhao Xin gave up, Chen Cao slowly patted him on the shoulder: "We officials must keep our word. When he is no longer useful, we have to cut him."
Xin Zhao trembled obviously: "I obey my orders..."
...
Wang Yiqing and the Dahewei people were all captured and taken into Xu Hongji's camp. The only people talking to Yang Yipeng at this moment were Huai'an Magistrate Liao Fan and a few Huai'an Prefecture officials.
"Master Yang," Liao Fan frowned: "Huang Ming surrendered to the Jin Yiwei. It's really unclear what kind of secret report he gave to Xia Guan. When Xia Guan's people arrived in Taoyuan, Jin Yiwei had already protected all their family members. Xia Guan's people There’s no way to reach them.”
Boom...
Yang Yipeng hammered the case hard: "Tian Huhu has also been arrested. If I can't escape unharmed when the court comes, all of you here will suffer."
The officials present here are all frightened. Even the governor of the third rank suffered disaster. What about these officials below the fifth rank?
Some people even exchanged looks and had the same thoughts as Huang Ming.
Seeing this, Yang Yipeng sneered and said, "Everyone, don't think about those far-fetched ideas. Your troublemakers know full well that the princes in the court want you to die. Do you think you can survive by joining the Jin Yiwei?"
Although they are all threats, these people still understand that they are now on the same boat.
"Sir," said a green-robed official, "why don't we fight them to the death?"
"right..."
"Every fish is dead and the net is broken..."
Many people agreed.
Yang Yipeng looked at him coldly, then took a deep breath and said, "Someone, go find Pan Yourong."
Yang Yipeng wanted to meet Pan Yourong alone, and the two of them talked behind closed doors in the middle hall.
"Mr. Yang, is there something wrong?" Pan Yourong felt a little bit uneasy while sitting on his chair.
Yang Yipeng paced back and forth for a long time before he stood still and said: "I want you to find a group of dead soldiers..."
"Ah?" Pan Yourong was shocked: "Master Yang, what are you doing looking for a dead man?"
"Kill..." Yang Yipeng showed his sharpness like an eagle.
Pan Yourong is not stupid. After Wang Yiqing was arrested, he knew that what Chen Cao told him last time was not simple. What Yang Yipeng did this time must have happened because of something unexpected.
Seeing that Pan Yourong was silent, Yang Yipeng said, "Last time you hosted Chen Cao for a banquet, what deal did you reach with him?"
"There is no deal," Pan Yourong replied decisively.
But Yang Yipeng was sophisticated and did not believe it at all, nor did he expose it. He just sneered and said: "Pan Yourong, don't forget your identity. I don't care whether you have any dealings with him. I just want to remind you that Weng Shijie's You agreed to the matter straight away, and the purpose of his coming to Huai'an is also very clear. Once the Weng family leaves, your position as the leader of the Cao Gang, Pan Yourong, will still be unknown."
Seeing Pan Yourong lowered his head and said nothing, Yang Yipeng continued: "I, an upright man from Donglin, will compete with the eunuchs this time. I know everything about Pan Yourong. Don't even think about getting away. Otherwise, your Pan family will be killed." More than three hundred people died without a burial place."
Pan Yourong raised his head with a look of fear on his face, and then anger filled his heart. Just as he was about to speak, Yang Yipeng interrupted his thoughts: "The person coming this time is Mr. Lin Yao, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Mr. Yu Lin. Although he is not my Donglin Party member, People, but he doesn’t like eunuchs, and he won’t embarrass us more if he thinks about it. As long as Huang Ming dies and there is no evidence of his death, the words of other people in Taoyuan County are just decoration. Who can do anything to us? Pan Yourong, just act honestly. "
"I will do my best next time." Pan Yourong seemed to have made up his mind and left after saying that.
Pan Yourong was waiting for Pan Yourong outside the governor's office. As soon as he got on the carriage, Pan Yourong said: "Go and find Liu Yizhong, the master of the South Hall. I have something to tell him."
"Gang leader?" Pan Yourong's confidant asked with concern.
Pan Yourong let out a long breath: "Yang Yipeng is right. The result of betting on both sides is that both sides will lose. But I think there is something wrong with what he said. Who says you can't be opportunistic and kill according to your own needs? If something goes wrong, I have a backup plan. Chen Cao You definitely don’t dare to kill me, so what are you afraid of?”
Huang Ming never went back because he had to appear in court to testify, and Lin Yaoyu would arrive in Huai'an tomorrow, so he couldn't go anywhere. The inn where he lived was guarded by a team of guards, and in addition, this was the prefectural city of Huai'an, so Huang Ming couldn't sleep. Be practical...
Chen Cao and his party had just come out of the brothel. Drinking flower wine outside was his biggest hobby in this world. It was similar to disco dancing in later generations. Moreover, as long as Chen Cao used his name as Nalan Rongruo, he didn't even need to pay for drinking wine. .
Chen Cao and Zhao Xin walked out of the brothel door and turned into another street to return to the inn when they heard a "stretch" sound.
"Sir, be careful..." Xin Zhao shouted. A captain in front of him had been shot and fell to the ground wailing.
As the saying goes, drunkenness makes people daring. Chen Cao had just finished his business and drank some more wine. He felt a little sluggish at his feet and fell to the ground when Zhao Xin pulled him.
Several more bows and arrows rang out, and someone started wailing again.
The weather will indeed affect the performance of arrows. After Chen Cao fell to the ground, he saw dozens of masked men in black rushing out of several streets around him, each holding a sword and heading towards him.
Chen Cao was so shocked that he had no time to think about where these people came from. Except for Zhao Xin, Xu Kaixian and a dozen captains, there was no one on his side. Moreover, several people had been hit by arrows just now. There were only about fifteen or six people: "Xin Zhao, send out a flare to call for reinforcements."
"yes..."
Chirp...bang...
A red firework bloomed in the black sky...
The leading man in black used a little moonlight and torches to slash at Chen Cao with his knife. In his opinion, this man in casual clothes was the real big fish.
"Sir, be careful..." Xu Kaixian cut off the attack of the man in black with a knife, and then fought with him.
"Kill..."
A fierce fight broke out between the two sides...
Chen Cao relied on his combat experience in Liaodong and Zhejiang and did not take these people seriously. He drew his Xiuchundao and rushed forward.
It was very dark as far as he could see. If the other party hadn't held a torch, he wouldn't have known who the person who was cutting was.
It's raining...
And it was so big that even the opponent's torch was extinguished. The sudden heavy rain was like a savior, forcing the two sides to temporarily separate. The man in black was ready to go, as if he was taking a break.
"Sir, there are only a few of us left." Xin Zhao said with difficulty. He was injured, and blood was flowing out of his arm, dripping down together with the rain.
"The people of Caogang are so brave, Yang Yipeng, if you don't die today, you will definitely be killed tomorrow." Chen Cao said to himself.
"How do you know that they are from the Cao Gang?"
"Guess..."
"Do it..."
The cold light flashed, and the man in black took action again. This time his opponent struck hard, and slashed at Chen Cao with random knives. The captain under his command could not stop him at all, and was hacked to death from time to time.
In the end, only Chen Cao and the other three were still resisting. Chen Cao used his bravery to stand in front of Zhao Xin and Xu Kaixian: "Brothers from the Cao Gang opposite, kill me today, do you know the consequences tomorrow?"
The leading man in black hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said: "As long as a person is dead, anything can be said, so I want you to remind me, brothers, kill him and do it..."
boom...
A musket sounded, and the leading man in black felt as if his chest had been hit hard, and then he couldn't stand and stepped back.
"It's impossible... such heavy rain... it's impossible for muskets..."
Before he finished speaking, the leading man in black expired.
Chen Cao once again loaded the paper shell bullets in his handgun, then pointed the gun at the group of people: "Who wants to give it a try?"
There were at least twenty men in black left, but without exception they all stood still. They were not afraid of swords, and their opponent's muskets could actually fire in the rain, so how could they fight?
"Brothers, he only has one musket. If it hits one of us, it will be useless. Follow me..."
boom...
As soon as he finished speaking, the man who spoke was also beaten to death by Chen Cao. Chen Cao had no move now. His gun only had two rounds of paper shells. Who would have thought that someone would assassinate him in South Zhili.
So he threw away the blunderbuss and picked up the Xiuchundao: "Come here, I, Jinyi Weinan Town Fusi Commander Chen Cao, kill me, you will become famous..."
"Kill..."
The footsteps and shouts came from far away, and Chen Cao let out a sigh of relief. His reinforcements were coming, and the blunderbuss had been holding them back for long enough. If they didn't come, he was afraid he would die here.
Sure enough, torches were lit all around, and a large group of Nanjing Right Guards soldiers entered the street. The men in black panicked and chose to fight to the death. These people were all dead soldiers and had no intention of being captured alive.
'Bang bang bang...'
With random shots, the first dozen or so men in black were beaten into pieces...
"Keep alive..." Chen Cao shouted.
But under the heavy rain and gunfire, his words seemed unnecessary.
The heavy rain came and went quickly, turning into drizzle from time to time.
Chen Cao stared at the dozens of corpses lying on the ground and felt a burst of fire, but now was not the time: "Are there any survivors?"
The leader of the team was a man from Qianhu, who saluted Chen Cao and said, "Sir, these people are all dead soldiers and cannot be captured alive."
Dead soldier?
Chen Cao slowly uttered two words. He was attacked and almost killed. The people who came to kill him were all dead soldiers. It seemed that his opponent was really prepared.
"The traces of the bow and arrow have been wiped away. It is believed to be an arrow from the army..." After Zhao Xin simply bandaged it, he hurriedly checked it.
"Sir..." A school captain hurriedly ran over: "Something happened. The inn was attacked and Huang Ming was killed."
"What?"
...
When Chen Cao led his people to the inn, Huang Ming's body had just been taken out of the inn.
Yi Cheng was now in the mood to commit suicide. He was Jin Yiwei's local spy, and if such a big thing happened, he couldn't escape his involvement.
"Tell me carefully." Chen Cao said angrily.
The postmaster quickly knelt down and said, "Sir, as soon as the rainstorm started, a group of masked men in black broke into the posthouse. There were only two patrol officers in the posthouse. They were no match at all. Even the brothers of Jinyiwei were attacked. If you are caught by a poisonous hand, there is nothing you can do about it."
Xin Zhao came to check and said: "Sir, most of the brothers in this small banner were killed by arrows."
"How many people are coming?"
Yi Cheng was frightened: "It's dark and rainy, but there are at least twenty people."
"What a great trick..." Chen Cao sneered and nodded: "Pan Yourong, Pan Yourong, you are so brave..."
"Sir," Xin Zhao stepped forward: "What will happen to the plan once Huang Ming dies?"
Chen Cao has the desire to kill people, let alone now: "Once he dies, his testimony will be just a showpiece for Lin Yaoyu. It cannot be true. It is better to die without proof..." Chen Cao gritted his teeth and said: "Tomorrow If the verdict is overturned, even if Tian Huhu’s words start to bite, the calculation will be greatly reduced.”
"My lord," Xin Zhao frowned: "We suffered such a big loss tonight, what should we do?"
"What should we do?" Chen Cao sneered: "Once Huang Ming died, those people in Taoyuan County were frightened. They dared to attack me and Wei Guogong in Fucheng. Do you think they still believe that we have the ability to protect them?"
"So, maybe those people will bite back?" Xin Zhao said horrified.
Chen Cao nodded: "Killing me is secondary... What's more important is Huang Ming, Yang Yipeng, you really have two tricks, you can actually persuade Pan Yourong to do things for you."
"Sir, should we send people to surround Pan Yourong's mansion now?"
When Zhao Xin was about to leave, he was stopped by Chen Cao: "Don't be busy. We will survive the disaster tonight. We will settle the accounts with them tomorrow. Go to Wei Guogong's residence immediately and inform Wei Guogong of what happened tonight."
"yes..."
